On July 3, singer-songwriter Alessia Cara headlined at the Coca-Cola stage for the opening night of the Calgary Stampede. Her powerful, high-energy performance featured many songs from her newest album as well as the hits that she has become known for.
Alessia Cara is one of the most acclaimed modern Canadian pop acts. Starting her career posting music covers to YouTube at the age of 13, she rose to fame after signing with Def Jam Records and releasing her chart-topping debut single “Here” in 2015. Since then, she has released four studio albums, won awards at the Grammys and the Junos, and has performed all over the world. 2026 is the third year she has sung at the Calgary Stampede, this time as part of her world tour promoting her newest album, Love and Hyperbole.
Cara began her performance with her more recently released songs such as “(Isn’t It) Obvious” and “Slow Motion.”
One word that could perfectly summarize her particular style of music is versatile.
Her sound is a seamless blend of pop, R&B, alternative and jazz and her performance further highlights this multifacetedness. Along with singing, Cara energetically danced around the stage and accompanied the band with her guitar.
Cara’s singing can be described as soulful and powerful; her long intricate riffs and runs during the performance appeared almost effortless during the performance.
During her set, Cara asked the audience which songs they wanted her to perform. An enthusiastic portion of the crowd cheered for her to sing “How Far I’ll Go” from the Disney animated film Moana. Cara’s rendition of the song that was featured on the movie's soundtrack became a hit in its own right. She honoured her fans' request and performed an acapella version of the song, encouraging the audience to sing with her.
The crowd did not disappoint and sang loudly in unison earning praise from the singer.
Along with her powerful vocals, another aspect that defines Cara's music is her ability to express her feelings and highlight her experiences through her songwriting. The content of much of her music revolves around topics such as her experiences grappling with her success at a young age and experiences with love and loss. She performed “Best Days” with lyrics that describe the feelings of stagnation in one's life, and “Somebody Else” a song that describes seeing an ex differently after a breakup.
The singer does not shy from being vulnerable with her audience, each lyric allowing for the raw emotion to shine through.
Towards the end of the set, Cara performed more of her most well-known songs “Stay” , a collaboration with the producer Zedd, that was a clear fan favourite.
With the singer's performance lighting a fire amongst the crowd. Another one of her popular songs that the audience excitedly sang to was “Scars To Your Beautiful”, a female empowerment anthem that Cara introduced by describing how the impact of the song changed her life and the lives of many others.
To end her performance with a bang, she sang her first mega hit “Here” which was immediately recognizable to almost all concert attendees at Stampede’s Coca-Cola stage.
Overall, Alessia Cara’s performance was a thrilling start to the Calgary Stampede. Her show not only thrilled the crowd but also was a testament to the singer's influence on popular culture for the past decade.
